• Government debt across 51 African countries was estimated at $1.93 trillion in 2025.
• South Africa and Egypt had the largest estimated stocks and jointly accounted for 33.8% of the total.
• Sudan had the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 187.6%, followed by Senegal at 130.2%.
• The estimates use IMF debt ratios and current-dollar GDP, not national authorities’ reported debt stocks.
• Differences in government coverage, instruments and valuation mean the figures are comparable estimates, not fully harmonised official data.

• Ghana recorded the most striking recent growth, reaching 12,825 students in 2024/25.
• Nigeria remained Africa’s leader with 21,847 students.
• Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt have held the top four positions since 2008/09.
• Their combined share of African enrolment increased from 46.1% to 60.7%.
• Africa had 73,406 students enrolled in US higher education in 2024/25.

• South Africa led with $8.52 billion, only $140 million ahead of Morocco.
• Morocco’s imports have grown steadily, while South Africa’s 2025 figure was a recovery toward its 2012 peak.
• Egypt ranked third, followed by Algeria and Nigeria.
• The top 10 markets accounted for 67.1% of Africa’s $56.48 billion total.
• Road vehicle imports include vehicles, parts, motorcycles, trailers, and semi-trailers.

• Africa exported a record $86.2bn worth of goods to China in 2025.
• China received about 12.5% of Africa’s total merchandise exports.
• Annual exports remained below $10bn until 2004, before accelerating sharply.
• Export values have remained relatively high since 2021 despite earlier downturns.
• The trade relationship remains heavily commodity-led, with limited manufactured exports.

• Only 3 of 52 African economies met the export-market diversification test in 2025.
• Nigeria recorded the largest and most sustained shift, with its top-buyer share falling from 43.1% to 9.9%.
• Madagascar’s top-market share dropped from 40.0% to 14.9% and has remained below 20% since 2021.
• Libya narrowly qualified at 19.5%, after remaining above the threshold in 2024.
• The test measures reduced dependence on one export destination, not greater product diversification.

• African teams have made 59 FIFA World Cup appearances since 1934.
• Africa has advanced beyond the first stage 20 times.
• Five African campaigns have reached the quarter-finals.
• Morocco is the only African nation to reach the semi-finals.
• Morocco is also the first African nation to reach two World Cup quarter-finals.
• No African team has reached the final or won the World Cup.

• The UK made 672,400 visa decisions involving African applicants in 2025.
• Visitor visas dominated the decisions, accounting for 521,400, or about 78% of the total.
• Study visas had the highest issue rate, with 88.5% of decisions resulting in issued visas.
• Visitor visas had a much lower issue rate at 66.5%, despite having the largest decision volume.
• Work visa decisions had a 71.6% issue rate, below the global work visa average of 86.5%.
• Other visa routes had the lowest issue rate, with only 53.4% of decisions resulting in issued visas.

• Kenya led Africa’s outward FDI in 2025, recording $1.26bn.
• Nigeria followed closely with $1.19bn, after a 191% increase.
• Together, Kenya and Nigeria accounted for $2.45bn of the top 10 total.
• Morocco and Egypt completed the top four, with $812.8m and $695.9m.
• Angola recorded the fastest growth among the top 10, rising 278%.
• Africa’s total outflow was lower because negative outflows offset gains elsewhere.

• Nigeria’s FDI inflows rose to $4.01 billion in 2025, the highest level since 2014.
• The 2025 figure represents a 148% increase from the revised $1.61 billion recorded in 2024.
• Despite the rebound, Nigeria remains far below its 2011 peak of $8.91 billion.
• Nigeria’s strongest FDI period was 2005 to 2014, when inflows stayed above $4 billion every year.

Egypt remained Africa’s top FDI destination with $15.45bn.
Nigeria ranked 4th after FDI inflows rose 148% to $4.01bn.
Guinea had the biggest top-10 jump, rising 454% to $7.76bn.
Africa’s top 10 accounted for 73% of total FDI inflows.

• Nigeria’s external debt service entered a heavier phase in 2018.
• External debt service crossed $5bn in 2025.
• Nigeria paid about $22.2bn from 2018 to 2025.
• That was about 6x the $3.7bn paid from 2008 to 2017.
• The 2006 spike reflects one-off debt settlement payments.

• Malawi recorded Africa’s largest life expectancy gain, adding 21.4 years between 2000 and 2024.
• Rwanda and Zambia also added about 20 years each.
• Africa’s average life expectancy gain was 10.6 years, higher than the global gain of 5.8 years.
• Nigeria added 7.5 years, rising to 54.6 years in 2024.
• Despite improvement, Nigeria remained below both the African average of 65.7 years and the gains recorded by the top improvers.
• Most of the biggest gains came from countries that started the period with very low life expectancy levels.